On March 2, the Massachusetts Bar Association presented its annual Access to Justice Awards.   Recipients were chosen based on nominations from their peers.  The following is excerpted from the Association’s publications.

The LEGAL SERVICES AWARD is given to an attorney … who has made a particularly significant or meaningful contribution to the provision of low-income legal services.   Robert A. Sable is one of two recipients of this year’s Legal Services Award. 

A legal services “lifer,” Sable has been the executive director at Greater Boston Legal Services for the past 15 years…He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the provision of legal aid to the poor. A strong leader, Sable steered GBLS and the National Consumer Law Center through the crises in federal funding of the 80s and mid-90s, respectively. At the same time, Bob has not let his managerial duties of Massachusetts’ largest legal aid program remove him from either the program’s substantive work or the needs of the client community. To this day, he continues to find time to handle cases himself …Sable’s peers describe him as “a highly supportive colleague who has distinguished himself not only as an excellent lawyer and unstinting advocate for his clients, but as a leader.” 

In Bob's own words:  “I accept this award on behalf of all my colleagues at Greater Boston Legal Services who are out there representing poor people every day.  When I tell people I am a legal aid lawyer, I often get this sort of solemn look you give to someone doing something heroic and self sacrificing.  The truth is being a legal aid lawyer is a great job. It’s true that I really wish we got paid more money.  But what could be better than being a lawyer for the poor, the vulnerable, and the dispossessed.  Leveling the playing field for them by invoking the power of the law, the court and ultimately the state on their behalf. Advising and helping them shape institutions, laws, and regulations that will improve their lives.

So on behalf of everyone at Greater Boston Legal Services, I thank the Mass Bar Association and all its members for supporting this work. You support us with funding through the Mass Bar Foundation, through contributions from your firms and from your own pockets, through the thousands of hours you devote to pro bono work for our clients, through supporting our requests to the legislature for more funding and above all by standing up publicly for the ideal of equal access to justice in our adversarial justice system.

I became a legal aid lawyer because I thought that lawyers had  an important part to play in the fight against poverty.  I still believe that.

I also thought we could abolish poverty in this country in my life time. The last decade has  been discouraging, when poverty and income inequality has grown not decreased, when xenophobia against the most vulnerable is on the rise.  But I still think the goal of abolishing poverty is the right one and I thank you all for your support and partnership in that quest.

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